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The 2011 London Bird Report is now out - to get a copy please click here. Please record the insect as 'Peacock butterfly'. If you want to record the bird use 'Peafowl'. Monday 9th June 2014 * London Wetland Centre: 2 LRP, Green Sandpiper, 2 Teal, 1 Shoveller, Little Egret, 2 Lapwing chicks, Terns+chicks on rafts (Mike Dee) * Mitcham Common: Kestrel (f), Buzzard sp high between golf course & Beddington SF, numerous Whitethroat, 10+ Swift, 10 Long-Tailed Tit, Magpie nest + 3 enormous occupants, 2 Foxes, 1 Rabbit (James Massey) * St James's Park: 2 Swallow hawking over trees next to cafe at 0830 then away E over Horse Guards Parade, 6 Swift, drake Ruddy Duck still in situ and a showy Goldcrest (Frank Nugent). * Tyttenhanger GPs and Willows Farm : Cuckoo, Red Kite, 2 Tree Sparrow (Steve Blake) Sunday 8th June 2014 * Alexandra Park: 4 Jackdaws, Common Tern, Common Whitethroat, 40+ Swift, 2 House Martins (Bob Watts, Henry Wyn-Jones). * Brent Reservoir: Nuthatch in East Marsh, Little Ringed Plover & Lapwing but no sign of Cetti's Warbler (Brent Birders) * Brookmill Park: Little Egret, Kingfisher, Stock Dove, 3 Blackcap, House Sparrow (Conrad Ellam). * Greenwich Peninsula Ecology Park: 3 pairs Common Tern sitting (inc one pair with 3 young, one pair with 1 young), Reed Warblers singing, Whitethroat singing, Little Grebe, 2 pr Coot, 2 pr Moorhen. Also Comma, Burnet Companion, Cinnibar, Peacock Butterfly, common dragonfly species (Joe Beale). * Clapton Pond: Grey Wagtail. (Susan Huckle) * Hampstead Heath: Hobby and Common Buzzard over Sphagnum Bog at 1400, 1 Common Tern at Boating Pond, 1 Reed Warbler and 1 Kingfisher at Highgate 1 Pond, 6 singing Common Whitethroat, 1 Grey Wagtail sunbathing and flycatching at Hampstead 1 Pond (Frank Nugent). * Kingston Bridge: 1 Pied Wagtail, 3-4 Sand Martin, 7 House Martin, 3 Swallow, 4 Common Swift, 3 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 5 Herring Gull 16:45 - 17:20 (Neil Batten). * Leyton: Honey Buzzard '''flew South c.13:25 Tipped off about a high Buzzard to the North of the Lockwood I reckoned, with the prevailing wind, it should come my way, it did about 10 minutes later. Flying with deep wing beats and on flat, long wings at about 500m I knew it was going to be something good. It came straight towards my house and showed pinched in at the base broad wings a paler grey head and slightly paler tail, dark carpal patches, dark trailing edge to the wing and barring on the underwing onto the body though not complete to the belly, I'm guessing a female. it circled once or twice and then flew directly over the house, I ran to the front windows to get another look but it had disappeared, I went out into the street and it was thermalling above my house, trying to get a bit of height. A Carrion Crow flew up to buzz it but it gained height and went off towards the Olympic Park (Paul Whiteman) * Osterley Park: Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Jay, Common Tern, Heron, Nuthatch, Great Crested Grebe (rDo) * Richmond Park: Cuckoo singing Isabella Plantation- mainly on west side (J.Wilczur) ''A bulletin of bird sightings for the Park this spring has been posted here...''http://blog.frp.org.uk/ *Springwell Lake, Rickmansworth: 2 '''Goldeneye (1 female & 1 chick) (V Williamson, R Woolley). *Stoneleigh KT17: 1 Peregrine drifted s. over Stoneleigh Broadway 11:20 (Neil Batten). * Ten Acre Wood area: pr Buzzard, Hobby, Kestrel, 2 Lapwing, 2 Little Ringed Plover, 8 Stock Dove, 2 singing Skylark, Grey Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, 6 Swallow feeding together, 4 singing Lesser Whitethroat, 3 Rook, 3 singing Reed Bunting, 7 Linnet, 2 Small Heath + new for year both Ringlet + Meadow Brown (Neil Anderson) * Walthamstow Reservoirs: Two drake Red-crested Pochard on East Warwick. Peregrine hunting regularly between Lockwood & Banbury. And a distant 'Buzzard' high to the north of Lockwood whose timing is good - depressingly - for the bird seen much better soon after in Leyton! (David Bradshaw) * Walthamstow Reservoirs Lockwood: 45+ Common Tern, 10+ Great Crested Grebe, 2 Peregrine over Banbury, Ringed Mute Swan, 10+ Sand Martin, 2 Eygptian Geese, Tufted Duck, Starling, 3 Little Egret (Daniel Whitelegg) * Yeading Brook meadows: Kestrel, 2 singing Skylark, singing Garden Warbler, 2 Rook low over, 4 Linnet, Small Heath (Neil Anderson) Saturday 7th June 2014 * Brent Reservoir: Egyptian Goose, 4 Little Ringed Plover, Lapwing, Cetti's Warbler & a late Swallow heading North (Andrew Self) * Brookmill Park: Little Egret, Mandarin, Stock Dove, 6 Swift, Song Thrush, 2 Blackcap, 2 House Sparrow (Conrad Ellam) * Crossness: 3 Teal, 22 Gadwall, c.250 Black-headed Gulls, 2 singing Reed Warblers (Richard Bonser) * Enfield: Jubilee Path: 4 Common Buzzard, Red Kite, c30 Common Swift, 2 Skylark, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Common Whitethroat. ( Pete Lowman). * Highams Park Lake: 1''' Female Smew, 2 Great Crested Grebe, 2 Pochard, 11 Mute Swan inc 9 chicks, 8+ Tufted Duck, 1 Herring Gull, 1 Grey Heron (Daniel Whitelegg) * Hooley: Nightingale, singing in bushes along side A23, 20 meters north of Star Lane. (Paul Sell) * Kensington Gardens & Hyde Park: Swift, Pied Wagtail, Ring Necked Parakeet, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Grey Heron, Long tailed Tit, Great Crested Grebe, Egyptian Goose, Reed Warbler, Greylag Goose, Jay, Mistle Thrush (rDo) * London Wetland Centre: 2 Green Sandpiper, Little Ringed Plover, 2 young Lapwing & 4 sitting adults and a tame adult feeding in the collection, 24 nesting pairs Black-headed Gull with 38 young in 16 broods, Common Terns down to 5 sitting birds, Hobby flew off carrying prey,Whitethroat pair carrying food, singing Chiffchaff (J.Wilczur). 2 Little Ringed Plover (one of which was feigning injury in front of a Lapwing), 3 singing Chiffchaff, Hobby pm catching dragonflies above Sheltered Lagoon, 1 male Kestrel hunting near Peacock hide, some Reed and Sedge Warblers still singing (Martin Honey) * Margravine Cemetery: 4 House Sparrow (2 young fledged yesterday) (Nathalie Mahieu). * Northolt + Grenford CP (Northala): fishing Common Tern, singing Reed Warbler, singing Reed Bunting (Neil Anderson/K. Bull) *Osterley Park: Chiffchaff, Cormorant, 3 Egyptian Goose, Goldcrest, 5 Great Crested Grebe (3 chicks), 3 Green Woodpecker, 2 Grey Heron, 14+ Jackdaw, Little Owl, 5 Mandarin, 6 Pochard, 4+ Ring-necked Parakeet (Richard Woolley). *Richmond Park: Little Owl heavily mobbed in Prince Charles Spinney, Grass Snake in stream north of Isabella Pl, Fox with Jackdaw heavily mobbed by c15 Jackdaw west of Isabella Pl(Steve Woolfenden) * Rotherhithe: 1st-summer Black-headed Gull Canada Water (rare for this time of year), 2nd-summer GBB Gull and 1st-summer LBB Gull Greenland Dock, 40 Herring Gulls, 20 Tufted Ducks (Richard Bonser) '''Friday 6th June 2014 *Brookmill Park: Drake Mandarin moulting in to eclipse, singing Blackcap (Conrad Ellam) * Crayford: 2 Hobby calling and interacting over Iron mill Lane 13.45 (Richard Jones) * Epping Forest/Chingford: Female Smew on Warren Pond at 08.15 (I Lycett) * Hampstead Heath (Kenwood): Red Kite mobbed by crows, Hobby, Little Grebe with 2 young all from 4pm (Michael Mac) * Hanwell W7, River Brent/Grand Union: Blackcap m, Common Whitethroat, Reed Warbler, Swift 9+, Pochard 3m 1f, Tufted Duck 17m 8f the highest count I've had here, Wood Mouse saved from the jaws of a large ginger cat (Rob Mills) * Lea Valley Riding Centre: 2 Juvenile Mistle Thrushes, 1 Pied Wagtail, 3 Blackcap, 8+ Blackbird, 3 Chaffinch (Daniel Whitelegg) * Leyton Flats/Snaresbrook: Hobby hawking insects lunchtime, Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Common Whitethroat, 1 Willow Warbler, 6 Stock Dove, 3 Grey Wagtail, 5 Collared Dove, Goldcrest, Coal Tit (Stuart Fisher) * Lloyd Park: 30 Swift, 6 Moorhen inc 3 chicks (Daniel Whitelegg) * Middlesex F.B.: Singing Willow Warbler (Paul Whiteman) * Richmond Park: Peregrine, 10 Shoveler- 5 pairs (J.Wilczur) Cuckoo calling Isabella Plantation (M.Lewis) * Walthamstow marsh: North end Willow Warbler, singing Lesser Whiethroat. (Paul Whiteman) 5+ Greenfinch, 3 Sand Martin, 4 Reed Bunting, 3 Reed Warbler, 25+ Starling inc juveniles (Daniel Whitelegg) * Wanstead Flats: 3 Egyptian Goose, singing Garden Warbler, singing Lesser Whitethroat, Kestrel, 4 House Martin, 20 + Swift (Nick Croft) * Wanstead Park: singing Willow Warbler (Tim Harris), singing Reed Warbler, 2 Common Tern, 3 Little Egret, 6 House Martin, 10 + Swift (Nick Croft) * Waterworks N.R.: Swallow, 1+ Cetti's Warbler (Mike Messenger) 2 Egyptian Geese, 1 Little Grebe, 2 Reed Bunting, 10+ Reed Warbler (Daniel Whitelegg) Thursday 5th June 2014 *Cross Ness Nature Reserve: Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Oystercatchers, 9 Shelduck (inc. 4 ducklings), up to 3 Skylarks, 3 Linnets, around a dozen Gadwall, 2 Teal, half a dozen Swifts, Pied Wagtail, Cetti's Warbler (Alan Hobson). *Ewell (Hogsmill Open Space): 3 Blackcap, 1 Chiffchaff, 2 Grey Wagtail, 4 Common Swift, 1 Beautiful Demoiselle (Neil Batten). *Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens: 2+ Tawny Owlets calling, 6 Mandarin Duck with 2 surviving chicks, pr Pochard, pr Gadwall, c30 Swift over Round Pond (Charlie Farrell) *Kensington Green W8: m Sparrowhawk, 1 Grey Wagtail, 1 Pied Wagtail, (John Watson) *Leyton, Jubilee Park: Red Kite drifted East at 10:50, escorted away by local breeding Carrion Crow. Hobby West at 11:20 (Paul Whiteman) * London Wetland Centre: 5 Shoveler, Hobby, 3 Yellow legged Gull, 1 2nd summer, 2 1st summer, Turtle Dove '''flew N 09.15, 150 Swift (R.Kaye) *Pinner Park Farm: Little Owl, Cormorant over, singing Whitethroat & Blackcap, 5 Swift, 4 Goldfinch, 6 Jackdaw & 5 Stock Dove (Jon Ridge). * Richmond Park: Red Kite low over Pen Ponds mobbed by Common Terns at 12.30, Buzzard, Hobby, 105 large Gulls-mainly Herring- flew SE including a flock of 95, Grey Heron- first nest has a second brood of >1 young, 11 Great Crested Grebe- 8 adults and a brood of 3, Pochard pair, 2 Sand Martin, House Martin, 2 singing Skylark and 7 singing Reed Bunting- Lawn Field (J.Wilczur) * South Croydon, 17.45 hrs: 3 Red Kites west over Melville Avenue (A.Pearson) * St James Park: 7 House Martins, 3 - 4 Greylag broods, female Pochard attacking a Coot persistently for about 2mins and a Red-breasted Goose took side of Coot (Michael Mac) * Stanham Farm (Crayford), in large part boggy Typha/Rush habitat. Cuckoo calling occasionally, from area south of Thames Road Wetland, mid afternoon to c20.35, when it sounded like it was in trees along the foot of the Dartford-Slade Green railway embankment. (Chris Rose). * Wanstead Flats: Singing (2) Lesser Whitethroat and Garden Warbler, 6 House Martin, 30 + Swift, Kestrel, 6 Egyptian Goose (Nick Croft) '''Wednesday 4th June 2014 * Brookmill Park: 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 7 Blackcap (Conrad Ellam) * Eastcote (High Road Eastcote) : Grey Wagtail along the River Pinn (Jon Ridge). * Camley Street NR: pair of Blackcap seen mating; prior to mating the female alighted next to the male and rubbed her neck against his; prior to this the male had been singing (James Palmer) * City of London: Black Redstart on church roof (Charlie Farrell) * London Wetland Centre: 3 Mandarin including a young male, Gadwall brood (3 ducklings), 2 Pochard broods (1 and 2 ducklings), several Redshank, 1 Little Ringed Plover, at least 2 Lapwing chicks, probably 7 pairs nesting Common Terns, numerous Black-headed Gull chicks, 80 Swift (WWT website, Martin Honey) * Park Wood/Ruislip Lido: 2 Treecreeper, 6 Nuthatch, several Great Spotted Woodpecker, Green Woodpecker, Jay, 10 Jackdaw, pair of Egyptian Goose, 2 Common Tern, 6 Great Crested Grebe, 49 Mute Swan, 70 Swift, 12 House Martin, Swallow, 8 Chiffchaff, Blackcap & Reed Warbler (Jon Ridge). * Pinner (Lloyd Court): Little Egret along the River Pinn (Jon Ridge). * Pinner Woods: Little Egret along the River Pinn & singing Chiffchaff (Jon Ridge) * Stoneleigh KT17: flock of 6-7 recently fledged Goldcrests feeding in trees in Bradstock Road 09:00 (Neil Batten). * Totteridge: Mistle Thrush singing away loudly in trees by Dollis Brook, just down from the Station. (also yesterday in the heavy rain -i.e "storm-cock") ( Mr Crabtree.) * Wanstead Flats: 4m and 2 f Pochard, m Gadwall, 3 Egyptian Goose, singing Garden Warbler, singing Lesser Whitethroat, 6 House Martin, 40 + Swift, 2 Kestrel (Nick Croft) * Woodford Green: Little Egret over my garden at 9pm (Steve Howey) Tuesday 3rd June 2014 * Alexandra Park: Reed Warbler singing from island in Boating lake (Alan Gibson, Dominic Mitchell). Common Tern pair still Wood Green Res (Bob Watts). * East India Dock Basin: 21+ Common Tern including 9+ nesting pairs, 4 Shelduck, 17 Tufted Duck, 3+ Sand Martin, Reed Bunting singing, Blackcap singing (John Archer) * Grovelands Park: 6 Treecreeper pr feeding four newly fledged juvs huddled together on oak trunk (Robert Callf). * Nunhead Cemetary: Bullfinch (pair), 5.30pm (Andrew Birks) * Pinner: 11 Stock Doves on back lawn, twice daily feeding has built this record flock (Richard Francis). * Saffron Avenue Pond E14: Reed Warbler singing, 4+ House Sparrow (John Archer) * Swanley Park : 40 Canada Goose (all 3 nests predated, no young) 50 Mallard (5 broods 24 from 38 surviving ducklings) Kestrel, Herring Gull, 2 juv Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 10 Swift, 20 House Martin, Linnet Whitethroat (Andy Meaton) * Tottenham (Broadwater Farm): Greylag Goose, 2 Egyptian Goose, 8 House Martin (James Palmer) * Totteridge valley: White Stork? 18:20 seen very briefly from car, taking off low over the road, probably from pond near the Three Hammers pub, The Ridgeway. (Andrew Bailey) Monday 2nd June 2014 *East Barnet (in between Oakhill Park and Brunswick Park): Little Egret, Peregrine twice seen flying SW each side of midday carrying large prey being mobbed by Herring Gull pair first time and Red Kite the second time, Sparrowhawk soaring (D Bates) * East India Dock Basin : 18 Common Tern including about 9 incubating on rafts, 30+ Swift, 3 Shelduck, 13 Tufted Duck, 2 Stock Dove, Sand Martin, Reed Warbler singing, Blackcap singing (John Archer) * Enfield Jubilee Path: 6 Common Buzzard, 2 Red Kite, c50 Common Swift,Stock Dove,3 Common Whitethroat,3 Skylark,Yellowhammer, Green Woodpecker, 2 G S Woodpecker,Blackcap(s),Chiffchaff,3 LBB Gull,Many Jackdaw and Carrion Crow, Pheasant, Field Mouse. ( Pete Lowman). * Finchley Road tube station, NW3: Grey Wagtail on ledge opposite northbound platform 14:00. I often hear them calling from nearby rooftops and see them foraging locally so suspect breeding somewhere in the vicinity (Alex Massey) * Fisher's Green NR: Red Kite, 2 Buzzard, Hobby, 3 Nightingales in song, pair of Bullfinch, 3 cetti's warbler in song. (jamie Partridge) * Mile End Park: Singing Reed Warbler (Harry Harrison) * Motspur Park: Red Kite flying north high (Bob Smith) * Park Lodge Farm: 2 Kestrel, 7 Whitethroat, 3 Skylark, 3 Pheasant, 60 Jackdaw, Jay, 6 Stock Dove & 3 Greylag Goose (Jon Ridge). * Pinner Woods: Little Egret, family group of 5 Goldcrest, Great Spotted Woodpecker & several Long-tailed Tit (Jon Ridge). * Richmond Park: Hobby (tangling with Buzzard high over Lower Pen Pond), 1-2 Common Buzzard, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, c8 Reed Bunting, 4+ Grey Heron, 2 Great Crested Grebe, 3 Common Tern, Jay, Green Woodpecker, 6+ Swift (James Massey) * Ruislip (Bury Street): Little Egret along the River Pinn (Jon Ridge). * Ruislip Lido/Poor's Field: male Cuckoo, family group of 5 Nuthatch, singing Reed Warbler, Garden Warbler, Whitethroat, Blackcap, Chiffchaff & Willow Warbler, pair of Egyptian Goose, 8 Great Crested Grebe, 2 Common Tern, Green Woodpecker, 8 House Martin, 3 Swift & an eclipsed drake Gadwall (Jon Ridge). * Wanstead Flats: 4 Egyptian Goose, 2 m Gadwall, f Pochard, singing Garden Warbler, singing Lesser Whitethroat, Grey Wagtail over, 6 House MArtin, 30 + Swift (Nick Croft) * Wanstead Park: singing Reed Warbler + mate, m Pochard, Swallow through, Kingfisher, 2 Little Egret on Roding (Nick Croft) Sunday 1st June 2014 * Alexandra Park: Skylark 0925 flushed from ditch on W side cricket pitch - 1st June record in recent times, also pair Common tern Wood Green Res (Bob Watts). * Blackheath (Vanbrugh Park area): Red Kite W at 13.30, Common Buzzard E 14.00, Sparrowhawk hunting, Peregrine circling then E, Swallow N (Joe Beale). * Brent Reservoir: Red Kite over at 10.30, Cetti's Warbler, 5 Little Ringed Plovers, Lapwing & 3 Egyptian Geese (Brent Birders) * Dunton Green Nr Sevenoaks. Red Legged Partridge 4 in a field adjacent to Pilgrims Way( Ray Tuck) * Enfield Jubilee Path: 5 Common Buzzard, 4 Red Kite, Kestrel, Swallow,2 G S Woodpecker, 3 Blackcap.(Pete Lowman). * Greenwich Park: Red Kite W from Blackheath Vanbrugh Park, same as above (Joe Beale). * Leyton, Jubilee Park: Buzzard sp. (poss. Honey) circled and went South c.16:10. (Paul Whiteman) * Middlesex Filter Beds 2 Buzzards flying high c2:30 (Sue Barry) * Pinner Park Farm: 2 Little Owl, Sparrowhawk, 2 Grey Wagtail, Nuthatch, 3 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 17 Swift, Jay, 6 Jackdaw, 8 Stock Dove, singing Whitethroat, Blackcap & Chiffchaff, Black-headed Gull, Grey Heron & 15 Canada Goose (Jon Ridge). *Staines Moor: 1 Hobby Chasing Meadow Pipits/Linnets, 1 Common Tern along R Colne, Sedge Warbler, pr Reed Bunting (Charlie Farrell) *Richmond Park: 4 Common Tern mobbing young male Red Deer swimming across Upper Pen Pond between the tern rafts & the wire fence in the lake (Steve Woolfenden) *Stanwell Moor: 2 Cetti's Warbler, 1 Sedge Warbler, Cuckoo (Charlie Farrell) * Totteridge Valley/Darlands Lake: 1pr Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Lapwing, Common Buzzard, Rook, 2 Swifts plus Red-eared Terrapin (John Colmans). 6 Lapwing on cornfield Folly Farm, 2 Kestrel (Tony Clancy) * Walthamstow Reservoirs: Red Kite west at 2 pm, Swallow, Lesser Whitethroat (Simon Bradley). 2 Red-crested Pochard on East Warwick (David Bradshaw, Paul Whiteman), 2 Peregrines and a Sparrowhawk (David Bradshaw) * Wandle Trail; East Croydon to the Thames at Wandsworth: 48 species; highlights included a drake Mandarin Duck at Waddon Ponds; Red Kite W. over Morden Hall Park (1.45-ish?) Kingfisher, Black Redstart, flock of 28 Long-tailed Tits next to Wandsworth Town Station (Alan Pearson and Jo East) * Wandsworth Common: Grey Wagtail (Nick Rutter) *Wormwood Scrubs: 4+ Meadow Pipit, Jackdaw, Reed Bunting 1 Lesser Whitethroat, c4 Great Spotted Woodpecker (The Scrubbers) 'Archived News' LONDON BIRDING NEWS FROM ALMOST EVERY PREVIOUS MONTH SINCE JULY 2002 {C}﻿﻿